AU PAIRS: HOW TO ACHIEVE A HAPPY AU PAIR PROGRAMME

Our first advice to Au Pairs is that you state all the tasks you will carry out as an Au Pair in the agreement as clearly as possible. Likewise, we recommend that you attach a weekly planning to the agreement, including timetables and tasks to be carried out by you as an Au Pair.

Our second advice has to do with the importance of communication between the host family and the Au Pair. If you have a good communication with the host family, in a friendly and respectful manner, there is a 90% probability that the programme will be successful for both parties. To that effect, you should, on a weekly basis and within a relaxed environment, talk for at least half an hour with your host family about how you feel living with your family, in their country and about the week their children had. Such weekly chats may detect and allow you to prevent any potential problems that may arise during the Au Pair programme, resolving them before they take place and creating a relationship of trust and confidence that will allow you to have a happy experience. Listen carefully to the other party, avoiding there is only one party talking and always avoid direct reproaches.

Moreover, here we offer some pieces of advice for the programme to be as happy as possible to everyone:

It is very important that you respect the host family's rules, both in relation to the education of their kids, and to the house rules.

Respect the family schedule as regards meals and arrival at home and, if for any reason you will occasionally be late let them know, since some families worry very much.

It is also very important that you respect the family's privacy, especially the parents', not entering into their bedroom without their authorization, and, if you perceive there is some kind of conflict between them, let them resolve it privately without being present.

It is important that you be patient as regards the host family's habits, lifestyle, and customs; the purpose is that you integrate and adapt as much as possible to their habits, so as to take the greatest advantage of this cultural exchange.

If language is a sort of barrier between you and your host family, we recommend that you be patient and try to express yourself clearly and simply, repeating phrases or words as many times as necessary, so that your host family can understand you.

Provided that the family invites you to participate in family activities, try to join, since apart from the fact that you will probably enjoy them, this will allow you to adapt more quickly to the family.

Get interested in the education methods the family employ with their children and, apart from respecting them, try to carry them out as the parents do.

Perform the tasks and comply with the weekly hours agreed upon in the agreement you executed with the host family.

Never make hurried decisions. Before making a decision, take some time to think about it, except in case of serious situations requiring immediate decisions.

For more security and to avoid fraud in relation to the Au Pair's stay, we recommend our interpretation servicesand follow-up services provided by the Needaupair.com team.